Memo
by Clare
Summary: You know those WICKED memos that appear at the end of the books? Here's my own version. It's meant to be the one that was sent after Group B escaped but before Group A did likewise.


**Memo**

WICKED Memorandum, Date 232.1.24, Time 22:10  
TO: My Associates  
FROM: Ava Paige, Chancellor  
RE: THOUGHTS ON MAZE TRIALS, Group B

And so the Maze Trials are finally coming to an end. After more than two years, thirty of our subjects who were assigned to Group B have succeeded in escaping from their Maze. All of them responded well to the Variables and provided us with killzone patterns which will be invaluable when we come to build our blueprint. For that is what we have always been striving towards: a complete map of the killzone which we can then use as the basis for developing a cure for the Flare. I need hardly remind you of the devastation this terrifying disease has caused throughout a world that was already struggling in the wake of one of the worst natural disasters in human history. Countless millions have already become infected and more new cases are being reported every day. It is therefore imperative that we find a cure before the human race is driven to extinction.

That is why we have sometimes had to resort to methods which may seem harsh, even brutal. We need to place our subjects in extreme situations in order to shock their killzones into providing us with the patterns we need. If necessary, we must even force them to witness the deaths of their own, as we did when we arranged for one of the elite subjects to be murdered. While it was regrettable having to sacrifice such a promising Candidate, it needed to be done in the interests of our overall goal. Her reactions in her final moments and the responses of her fellow subjects, especially her closest friend, will all contribute towards our final blueprint. In a sense, she and the others who have died over the past two years have given their lives so that others might live.

The survivors have been transferred to a secure location, where they will remain pending the start of Phase Two. So far, none of them suspect that their "rescue" was staged as part of the Trials, but they will learn the truth when the time is right, just as they will learn the purpose behind what we have done, and what we still plan to do, to each of them. As the Maze Trials have failed to produce all the patterns we require, we must continue to dig deeper until we find the answers we seek. Therefore, things are going to get even tougher for our subjects from now on.

But not right away. Phase Two cannot be implemented until members of both groups have passed the first stage. At the time of writing, Group A remain incarcerated in their Maze, though our observations suggest they too may shortly attempt to escape. We expect this to happen some time in the next few days. When the time comes, we will stage another "rescue", but the survivors will not be taken to the same location as the survivors from Group B. In the interests of maintaining the Variables, the two groups must be kept separate for as long as possible, with the following exception. On the night after Group A's escape, two of our subjects will be exchanged, namely the only girl in Group A and the only boy in Group B. This will be part of an important Variable devised by our Psychs, details of which will be distributed shortly.

Meanwhile, those who have already escaped will be allowed time to recover from their ordeal. We will use this time to collate the data they have provided and make the necessary preparations for the next stage of the Trials. The results we have obtained so far are encouraging and, if the subjects continue to respond well to the Variables, we may be able to complete our blueprint without having to move to Phase Three. But, whatever happens in the future, I'm sure you will wish to join me in congratulating each and every one of them. By surviving the Maze Trials, they have brought us one step nearer to finding the cure we seek. Saving the human race, no matter what the cost, has always been our goal. In other words, WICKED is good.

We will meet tomorrow to discuss the initial results of the Maze Trials in more detail. In the meantime, please let me know your thoughts on how we should move forward.


End file.
